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Old 10-25-2014, 12:30 PM   #21
chuckster57
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not to get off topic....but

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia View Post
.... Just putting this out there comparing the local ford dealership and the Keystone dealership. Ford service dept. works 6 days a week from 8a to 12p. Has 20? vehicles being worked on in the shop. Keystone 5 days aweek, 8a to 6p. looked like they handle about 5 trailers at a time. The RVs will just take longer to fix based on numbers. How each gets factory repairs OKed I do not know.
The Ford dealership only does "get readies" for Ford vehicles sold, and probably services few of any other brands. RV dealers on the other hand don't carry just one brand of units. For example we carry Keystone, Cruiser, Forest River, Pacific Coachworks, Grand design, Tiffin and Pleasureway. Only have 3 bays 3 techs. Repair authorization requires lots of documentation and pictures.

Having been involved in a few of these tire wear/axle issues, I can tell you from my experiences it can drag on and have multiple "re submits" of the same form. If/when a repair is authorized then the parts are ordered, then shipped.

Hope this isn't the case here, but I've seen the factory authorize heavier axles and then send the lower rated ones.... twice in one case. Then it has to be scheduled into a techs work flow....

Hope this clears up some confusion.
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Old 10-26-2014, 01:20 PM   #22
Ken / Claudia
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Thanks Chuck for pointing that out. My point was a guess at best but, showing that rv repairs do take longer than some think they should perhaps based on how long it takes to get their cars etc. to get fixed. Good to have you on here. Ken
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Old 10-27-2014, 12:41 PM   #23
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Big bang eh? And you are nuts you own a house that rolls!:d i like the second heading better!!
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Old 10-28-2014, 05:58 PM   #24
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I have a 2014 High country cougar 327res. I called Keystone in Sept to get information on my sagging area around the kingpin. I called them back today because they never responded after they asked for pictures. Now they want me to take it back to Campingworld to have them try a second time to fix it. Keystone is very slow at doing anything. Very sad for a large company. I have not had any tire issues as you describe at this time. My lippert level display panel went out though.We will see how long that takes to replace under warranty. Hope you get your tire issue fixed soon.
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Old 10-29-2014, 04:27 PM   #25
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I must be missing the point about comparing RV service to auto service. I don't recall ever having to wait on the auto manufacturer to approve a warranty repair. A blown engine or transmission would require an approval but not the routine items that RV shops claim they have to remove and send back to the vendor for approval. The vendor not Keystone has to approve it. Can you imagine having to have Johnson Control or some Chinese manufacturer have to approve a replacement for your Ford?
RV service is possibly the worst managed business I've encountered. I rarely wish for more government involvement but this is one place that really needs it.
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Old 10-29-2014, 05:18 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
I must be missing the point about comparing RV service to auto service. I don't recall ever having to wait on the auto manufacturer to approve a warranty repair. A blown engine or transmission would require an approval but not the routine items that RV shops claim they have to remove and send back to the vendor for approval. The vendor not Keystone has to approve it. Can you imagine having to have Johnson Control or some Chinese manufacturer have to approve a replacement for your Ford?
RV service is possibly the worst managed business I've encountered. I rarely wish for more government involvement but this is one place that really needs it.
Actually KEYSTONE, not the vendor must authorize the repair. Same for all the other manufacturers that we deal with, so I bet it's an industry standard. And yes we are required to document the fault with supporting evidence (photo's) prior to authorization, and if the RV manufacturer asks, we have to send the defective part back. In this particular case, the axle manufacturer will be involved as they supplied the part but didn't install it on the RV, and failure may have been material (vendors responsibility) or poor install (Keystone's responsibility).

Worst managed business? Spend 25+ yrs working for a government agency and then come to the RV service industry.... you'll change your mind.
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Old 10-29-2014, 05:49 PM   #27
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The Keystone Owner's Manual explains the company position on appliance/component warranty (during the one year Keystone warranty) on page 11. Here's the statement made by Keystone:

"For the appliance and component manufacturers providing warranties, Keystone does, however, administer those warranties during the term of this one year Limited Warranty except for tires, batteries, generators and washer, dryer. All warranty service claims on components must therefore be directed during the one year of this Limited Warranty to Keystone. After the one year period, all appliance and component warranty claims must be directed to the
respective appliance and component manufacturers.

Keystone is not warranting any appliance or components and is only representing that it is authorized to administer the services for such products during the one year term of the Limited Warranty. In no way shall
Keystone’s Limited Warranty be modified or amended by Keystone providing administrative services for appliances and components."

Essentially, what the manual says is that during Keystone's one year warranty, they have an agreement with the component manufacturers that Keystone will administer, coordinate and approve the individual warranty for components and after that one year, then it is the owner's responsibility (or the dealer's responsibility) to contact the individual manufacturer for warranty approval. Essentially, Keystone pays for the repair during the first year and gets reimbursement from the component manufacturer. After that year, Keystone is out of the loop.

As Chuckster57 stated, if there is a "shared use" responsibility such as the axles, then Keystone usually includes the component manufacturer from the beginning since there will likely be questions about whether it is a component failure or an installation failure...
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Old 10-31-2014, 10:34 AM   #28
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All I have for experience is my recently repaired Dometic refrigerator. Without getting into too many details, the selling dealership tried to repair it twice and didn't. I then took it to an independent repair shop. After the shop consulted with Dometic a new cooling unit was shipped. Three more attempts by Dometic and the shop finally got the correct and undamaged parts, and the unit was fixed. The unit was purchased July 1 and the refrigerator never worked. It went to the independent shop Aug 28 and we got it back Oct 21.
I most likely threw a curve in the process by using an independent shop. But I had lost what little faith I had in the selling dealership and was desperate. The selling dealership would have dealt with Dometic directly as well.
I don't agree with the comparison to auto dealers. The dealer we have bought our last three autos from sells Chevy, Ford, and Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep. At any given time all those makes are in the shop. I also know that several independent Corvette shops are authorized to do warranty work.
My perception of RV dealers is that they are focused on selling RV's, and not servicing them. Either they are not compensated well from the manufacturer for warranty work, or don't really see any point in service if they will not get the return on investment as they would in sales.
Ok...rant over..off my soapbox.
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Old 10-31-2014, 12:01 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
My perception of RV dealers is that they are focused on selling RV's, and not servicing them. Either they are not compensated well from the manufacturer for warranty work, or don't really see any point in service if they will not get the return on investment as they would in sales.

Ok...rant over..off my soapbox.

Your perception is probably not far off for SOME RV dealers, but the same can be said for auto/truck dealers too. I'm sorry your experience with your refrigerator was bad, and I hope it doesn't sour your attitude towards ALL RV dealers.
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Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.

Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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Old 10-31-2014, 12:31 PM   #30
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No, I'm good with it. It was just a painful learning experience. I left the ugly details out, but I'll say it is a huge dealership on the west side of Houston. There have been new faces in the service department every time I have been there. My "personal service advisor" is no longer employed there. No surprise.
The same company has another dealership near Houston that I hear has a decent service department. They are actually a bit closer to me. But if any future warranty work does not involve anything Keystone built, I'll use the independent repair shop.
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Old 10-31-2014, 01:04 PM   #31
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Many people prefer the "face to face personality" and individual personal attention they get at a small "family run" repair center. It's not just in the RV business, but at smaller automobile dealerships as well. There's something to be said about walking in on a Thursday afternoon and being greeted by your first name rather than standing in line waiting for someone to even acknowledge that you're in the building while you listen to someone at the counter argue about how much their bill is.

I think the best "Ford service" I have ever received was at Ken Brady Ford in LeCompte, LA. They didn't have a facility large enough to even put one car "in" the showroom and they had 4 service bays, but when I drove up, the service manager came outside to say hello, offer a cup of coffee and ask how he could help me. He knew my name, my truck, my past service history and remembered who sold the truck to me. It wasn't "reinventing the wheel" and trying to establish who I was every time I went in for an oil change.

If given the choice, I much prefer a small service facility who knows me and my Cougar, rather than a large, "too busy" service center where nobody even knows (or can find) my past service record, they have to search the lot to find my RV when I come to pick it up and there's nobody who can tell me what they did or even what they found when they worked on it.
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Old 10-31-2014, 01:23 PM   #32
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Mega dittos as they say John. My car dealership is in Sour Lake, a small town between Houston and Beaumont. Great folks with great service. And unfortunately, they know my name. LOL
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